"Dear God, Thank You!"

Dear God,

I know we talk every day, and you already know what I am about to say, but it still needs to be said.  Thank You.  

Thank You for loving me, for keeping me when I wasn't sure I could be, or wanted to be kept.  Thank You for saving me early enough that I didn't have time to get involved in things that could mar me for life.  Thank You for all the people over the years that have given me insight, direction, rebuke and mercy.  

Thank You for my family and for the genuine love we have for each other even though we are so different.  Not only did you bless me with good parents, you also blessed me with good sound siblings.  Each one gifted and valuable in their own way.  Thank You for blessing them through all that they deal with from day to day, You have been there, and You have been good to them.

You blessed me with a godly husband and a ready made family of inherited daughters that have grown into their own, and even though the marriage is over, You still have allowed all of our kids to be at peace and connected with both of us.  Thank You for that, I know how important it is for kids to honor their parents, thank You for helping us to not make it difficult for them.  Thank You for keeping them and their families over the years, and for drawing them closer to You.

I also thank You for my biological kids!  They are both unique and a complete combo of both me and their father.  Thank You for the good qualities on both sides that they can pull from. You continue to watch over them and I thank You for that.  You have great plans for them and I look forward to seeing their lives grow closer as they grow older. 

Lord, I also thank You for my health, I love my age!  Especially when I realize that I don't feel it.  I thank You for my ministry, for vision and my purpose. You have designed me intentionally, and I pray that I will glorify You and You alone as I walk in all that You have called me to do.  

As we celebrate Thanksgiving and the end of this year, I know You are accustomed to us praying and asking for things, and truthfully, I too will be talking to You about the coming year, but if 2020 never got here, I want a personal record of appreciating You for right now!  You are great, and greatly to be praised, and I really do love living this life with YOU!

     

With a thankful heart, 

Me

"The Lottery! Why Win?"

Have you ever thought about what you would do if you won the lottery?  Tell the truth!   Well, I have.  That question has been answered by many when I ask them about their purpose- it was my attempt to find out where their heart was and what needs they would meet. Often, most answers sounded much like this….

“If I won the lottery, I wouldn’t tell anyone!  First, I would quit my job,  pay off student loans, bills, buy a house and get a new car.  Then I would set up an account for my kids towards college and beyond, bless my parents and rest of my family, (a onetime donation so they don’t come back)   I would invest and set aside for some charities and pay my tithes.”  

A LOTTO ISSUES!

Many believe that playing the lottery is wrong but play it anyway.  We have heard that it shows a lack of faith in God, and it's a waste of money.   We do have scripture that tell us not to “trust in uncertain riches” we have heard that “the love of money is the root to all evil” scripture tells us to “trust in the Lord with all your heart and not lean on your own understanding”  and finally “God will supply all your need according to His riches in glory, by Christ Jesus”.  All of this is true, but does it really speak against playing the lottery? 

Truth be told, we have more issues when it comes to our finances and playing the lottery is not one of them. We may not play it, but we may still cheat on our taxes, borrow money and don’t pay it back, we are in debt, lack discipline, we may be living month to month and have no savings.  We don’t tithe or give to the work of ministry, and we are not good stewards of the 100% we keep any more than some of us are good stewards of the 90%.  We skip church to get more hours  to “make more money” and often put our personal desires before God’s.  So, let’s be honest… The lottery is not our problem. 

IMAGINE WINNING!

What if you played and won?   What if you took the money you would spend on an unnecessary cup of coffee or donuts and played?  What if you put a plan together just in case you won?  The bible tells us that the “Wealth of the wicked is laid up for the just”.  What if playing and winning allowed you to expand the kingdom of God and do ministry on a grand level?  WOW! Imagine what we could do for the kingdom of God!  The apartment complex you could buy to house homeless instead of just praying they are warm when it is below freezing outside. You could create jobs for some who help run it .  You could offer life skill training, job fairs and help them get on their feet.    Think of the community center you could buy or build for youth.  Offering them tutoring, training and mentoring.  Imagine that.  My thought includes help for foster kids!  

I recently read about a man who took his over 50 million lotto win and brought a black business community back to life.  Another person built homes for homeless people, and another opened schools in a community that was hurting.  I love the thought of what can be done in this world and in our communities- but it takes money.  Money is not the root of all evil, the LOVE of it is.  If you love people more than you love money, imagine what you could do.  Scripture says that "money answers all things"  Money should be used to answer greater needs than just those of the person who has it. 

  

I love what Tyler Perry has done in Georgia, most of us would not have made that kind of money in our lifetime!  I am not trying to get you to play the lottery, but next time you hit an alter believing God for a million dollars, or pray for God to bless you with finances beyond what you ask or think.... understand that God is not wasteful, nor will He bless selfish desires.  God is purposeful and looks at the big picture, which includes drawing people to Him. What better way to draw others than to meet a real need.   If you are a Christian lotto player, or just a Christian, don't think small. Your needs, your family are too small a goal alone for God- there is a world out there that has a need that can be met at the same time yours are.    It pays to have a plan that is bigger than just getting out of debt and living large.  Think about the great opportunity to change something much bigger than YOU!  If you were announced as a mega winner, what need would your newfound money answer?

We should think outside our selves-  when we do that, more than just one person wins!

QUESTION ..."Love God, or Love Me?"

 

I was driving in Houston’s rare cold weather with my radio on and I heard the announcer ask an interesting question… “Would you be more upset if your Children didn’t love God, or if they didn’t love you?"  I am not sure where that question came from, but of course it made me think!  As traffic would have it, I reached my destination before hearing the conclusion, but I am sure you are answering the question in your mind right now, much like I did!  Here is where my mind went....

  

LOVING ME!

As a parent, it is unnerving to watch a movie or sitcom with an emotional child, looking at their parents  in a fit of anger as they yell “I HATE you!”   We have all seen it, and understand the devastation that is being depicted. Our hope is that it never happens to us- some of us vowing it it better not!  As parents, we want our kids to love us, we sacrifice for their good, we adjust our lives and schedules to ensure they are well, and we make life decisions with them in mind.  Sometimes we even put our plans on hold to see that their needs are met.  The LAST thing we want or expect is to be hated.   Sometimes in our attempt to get someone to love us it changes how we respond to them, and we may go outside the things we would normally do to secure that love.   As parents we can often go overboard to get our children’s love- something that should come natural. But when they reach the age (very early) where the word "NO" is introduced, things begin to feel funny.   We put up with nasty attitudes, disrespect and fits of anger.  We allow them to own things,  and do things that  are outside their ability to manage.  We don’t want to be the parent that kids hate, the house none of their friends want to enter.  Some parents end up allowing their children to break the law as long as it is in their house- but it starts habits they may never escape- all in the name of being loved. We may be inclined to attempt to ‘befriend’ our toddlers, and elementary age kids before they bloom into teenagers.  Something is wrong with that kind of parenting.  True parenting often realized that your kids may go through a phase where they don't like you, but if raised right, they eventually understand the sacrifice you made for them.  I would rather die not sure of  a child's love, rather than to live hating that I didn't have the guts to say "NO". 

   

LOVING GOD!

If I had a choice of them loving me or loving God, I would choose God.  First because His benefits last much longer than mine! If I truly love my children, I need them to know Him, to love Him and to serve Him.  If they do that, LONG after I am gone off this earth, I have invested something in them that will still be alive.  See Loving God will not only help them to live better, it will help them to love me too.  When you capture genuine love, AGAPE love,  you are holding something that is so valuable that it affects what you do.  Just like we said earlier, “Sometimes in our attempt to get someone to love us it changes how we respond to them, and we may go outside the things we would normally do to secure that love.”  And that is what God did for us, and for our children.  He left a place of glory in the form of His Son,  and came down to this earth because He loved us so.  He did something He didn’t have to do and had never done before... He died; Deity died for all creation. He drew us with loving kindness and tender mercies.   He proved His love for us, showed us His love to us, so that we in turn would love Him.  That's what any good parent does, we sacrifice...

LOVE GOD MORE!

So if I had a choice, (which I kind of do) I want my kids to love God more than they love me.  In doing that God will show them how to love others, and  how to appreciate all the things done to bring about that love to them- even the love you bring. So, don't be discouraged if your child is going through a difficult stage.  Maybe they are not appreciating you, or they are not seeming to connect with why you keep them in children's church or youth services.  They may be upset that you keep pointing them to God.  Keep introducing them to Him.  A relationship with God will help them to appreciate your sacrifices more, the long days, the late nights and the overall concern you have for them.  The older they get, the more it annoys them, but don't give up.  See if  they don't seem to love you, keep giving them Jesus.    

See benefits of  loving you may last for as long as you both shall live, 

But loving God will last into eternity! 

"Avoiding Scams- The 'Church' Version"

 

It is not strange on any given day to hear about a new SCAM.  Whether is deals with someone pretending to be sick in order to get donations, someone getting donations and never distributing them properly, or phone calls demanding payment for things not owed to the caller.  We also hear often about 'homeless' people who leave the roadside and go back to homes and nice cars. It is so common place that the thought of being fooled by a scam drives us!  None of us wants to be a victim, but there are so many out there who prey on innocent, unsuspecting people.

At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Messiah!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you ahead of time. "So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the wilderness,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it.”  Matt 24:23-26

CHURCH SCAMS

Of all the scams, it is sad to hear that some happen in churches.  Most true Christians are not fooled into thinking that everything is perfect in the church. We are aware that there are not just false prophets, but there are people who do church for personal gain, and some go as far as to fake miracles to get a following.  This is not new to us, and it is not a shock to God.  The bible talks about men who wanted to sell spiritual gifts, false prophets who lied to the people about what God has said and we have been warned about running towards ‘miracles’.  You may think that somehow that should not happen in the REAL church, but real churches have REAL people- from all walks of life.  Every person has a choice of how and if we will obey God, much like every child in a family can be raised in a loving home, but something goes wrong with them.  So the problem is not the church as a whole, it is the decisions of some people in the church family. The thing we have to keep in mind is that God as Father is aware of His wayward children, and He will deal with us at the appropriate time. 

AVOIDING SCAMS

So when talking about scams- we know they happen, but how do we avoid them?  If we listened to law enforcement, they would tell you to double check your sources.  Understand the process that your bank or debt collector uses to collect funds.  They would tell you to either NOT give to those on the streets or only use reputable organizations… (But sometimes those organizations are not trustworthy!)  Overall, I would agree with what they said, but I would add this to it.

Learn how to hear from God not your emotions.  Understand that the “Urgent is Seldom Important”.  Meaning take the time you need to check your sources.  Find ways that work for you to contribute to causes you love, understand that sowing in ‘good’ ground is better than just throwing seed.  Also if you are someone who loves to give, don’t be bribed by others that say... “But I thought you said you were a Christian?”  That  guilt trip is old now!  We have to be secure in knowing that we are not moved by the requests of people, but by the spirit of God.  As a believer you never know who God has in a difficult place for the purpose of drawing them to Himself.  Giving to someone when God is getting their attention puts their attention on you, and off of Him.  Again, pray about how you do your benevolent work!  Don’t be pressured and check the ground you are sowing in.

   

THE BIGGEST SCAM ALERT!

Aside from trying to avoid scams, we need to understand what the biggest scam of all is!

The biggest scam that works most of the time is not a fake ‘Go Fund Me” page, it is not donations taken and used for personal pleasures… The greatest scam of all is pulled on people who have kind hearts and generous souls.  The enemy causes us to see so many scams, that it stops us from caring, from reaching out and from helping others.  The greatest scam is supposed to cause mankind to not be kind; to always be suspect to the point that the normal giving heart that we have is prohibited from caring because of so many who abuse it. 

  

PLAN TO BE A BLESSING

Be encouraged to make plans to be a blessing.  If your heart is moved by people on the side of the road and you can’t NOT see them, plan for them.  If you want to work with an organization, choose wisely and be part of it so you are aware of the hearts of those in charge.  If that is more than you can do, plan to keep small bags with snacks, personal items, or even a little cash in each one to give out at a stop light.  That way you choose how you will bless others instead of others reeling you into doing things their way.   Overall, be the blessing you are meant to be.  Don’t allow the enemy to fool you into losing that part of yourself that keeps you feeling alive and loving others- that part that is connected to God.

And in conclusion… as much as we can try to avoid being caught up in a scam, sometimes our giving heart overrules our reasoning.  In those instances,  learn and understand that  though they think they have tricked you, your heart still has a benefit of receiving the promises of God.  They will be judged by God for their actions, but their mindset and evil intention does not hinder the blessing of God towards your giving heart!

#stillbeablessing 

"'Ye' and Church Fans!"

Kanye...

I'm hearing so much and reading so much about him lately. Some is good, some questionable, some suspicious or just bad.  The most that I knew about him prior to his conversion and new music, was negative press about music awards drama, and his deep hurt when his mother passed. I have heard that he is a musical genius, and that is cool, but I am still not a follower or really not a fan, mainly because I have differing taste in music. Truthfully I personally can't name one of his songs or hits,  but just as I do for other artists and celebrities, I do pray for him.  So all this talk has been interesting to me, here is why...

REAL OR STUNT?

The biggest concern I have heard so far is whether Kanye's conversion is a stunt or is it real. That is so funny to me that we would ask that question, especially since most if not all of us have issues in our own lives that look fake to someone.  It is funny because we don't ask that question of the ex con that comes to our church, or the prostitute that shows up at the altar.  It seems that somehow because he is a celebrity- God needs us to 'vet' him.  God doesn't really need us to know if his intentions are good or bad, it is not for us to decide.  I recall a time in the bible where they had a similar dilemma, and scripture said in Acts 5:38-39: 

"So I advise you to stay away from these men. Leave them alone. If what they are planning is something of their own doing, it will fail.  But if God is behind it, you cannot stop it anyway, unless you want to find yourself fighting against God Himself. The council members agreed with what he said." 

So, in the same spirit, instead of getting in the way of what God controls, how about we focus on just doing our part.  Some of us have a problem of overreacting or under-reacting when a celebrity turns to Christ.

CHURCH FANS

I remember there  was a young man who was a well-known celebrity that announced that he had given his life to Christ.  The church was excited, but excited for all the wrong reasons .  It seemed like we were happy someone from the "other side" was on "our side" now.  So without much thought, because they knew him and his music, churches began to invite him to sing and minister at their church. This was not a problem the celebrity brought about, it came from the church. We don't typically open our pulpits to new converts, but if we do, that is our doing.  Well the artist was good and happy to be welcomed into churches and soon was booked to play at many churches as the body of Christ 'embraced' him.  But then the problems surfaced.

I remember reading later that the young man who left the secular world in a broken state, and became a celebrity Christian, committed suicide.  This new babe in Christ who was running from empty feelings of loss in the world- found the same in the church.  The demand for his gift without a concern for his well being, and a church that was weak and more interested in what HE had to offer them, than they were in what THEY had to offer him in Christ.  In short, we responded as fans.... not  as the church. 

THE PROBLEM

This young man as a celebrity, was skilled in his gift.  He knew how to work a crowd, schedule gigs and how to basically do what he was paid to do.  What he didn't know was the word of God, the plans of God,  how to pray, how to walk in humility, how to be filled with the power of God, how to forgive.  He didn't know what God required for a believer to live this life, or how to study and grow strong in the things of God. He didn't know the promises of God to help him when he was hurting. In short, he had not been discipled. 

It is not our job to judge whether a new believer is serious or not, our job is to welcome them in, and to help them to grow and walk in the purpose God has for them.  So even if the new covert is a celebrity, we can't afford to forget that they are all new babes in Christ and they need discipleship, they need the word of God and they need to be covered in prayer... the same thing that we would offer to those who come off of our streets who get saved at our church altar.  Instead of being so concerned whether or not their intentions are right, we need to be sure ours are.

CONCLUSION:

My encouragement to all of us would be to be thankful and pray for anyone who says they have received Christ.  A new tree does not produce fruit as soon as it is planted, so we can't judge their intentions or their sincerity.  Being able to write or tell their testimony in song or in speech is what any new babe in Christ can do.  But what they can't do is feed themselves, cover themselves, or learn to walk alone. That is the job of the church.

So if you are a believer in his circle, the responsibility falls on you to help him- disciple and walk along side of him, pointing him to the Word and grace of God.  

If you are a fan, you will be there no matter what...

If you are the CHURCH then pray he gets to know God, that he grows in wisdom and knowledge of God and walks in the purpose that God assigned him before the foundation of the earth. Pray that God will receive the glory from his life and that like all of us, that people will be drawn because of his life, and let God handle the rest.  

In a nutshell, don't just be a FAN, be the CHURCH.

"Praise Deception"

I was riding in my car early one morning and had this moment with God.  In that moment a song was playing and my mind flooded with total recall of God’s goodness.   I was in my ‘Happy Place”.  See God is good and at any moment we can be reminded of His goodness.  It can be triggered by a song, a thought in church, in your car even in your shower.  We can remember how gracious He is and we are caught up in a genuine moment of praise.  When that happens, our problems dissipate and the things that are troubling us feel distant.  FOR THE MOMENT.  When we come down from that moment of praise, reality kicks in.  Those bills are still there, the loss is there, the relationship drama has not moved, and the financial woes are still looming.  In a moment it seems that our praise was deceptive.

 DECEPTION 

Could it be that God has fooled us, and lulled us into a place of complacency and peace that is not at all real?  If we are not careful, we can begin to ridicule our own praise because we still have the same issues in front of us. Our praise may seem to fool us into thinking that somehow something got better.    

But the deception is not in your praise, it’s your circumstances.  

The things we are going through are deceiving us into thinking that our praise is not powerful, that our praise is not a weapon, that our God is not good, and He is not faithful.  But the truth of the matter is that OUR PRAISE is a reminder to us that we have not given up.  We are still expecting better in our life.  We trust God and know that things can turn around at any moment.   Praise does still the enemy, but it also strengthens us for the fight.  Praise is a precursor for victory. When done in advance, it confuses the enemy to the point that he fights against himself.  If we stay in there, do the things God has told us to do and allow God to do what He said He would do in our lives, our praise will escalate to another level.   There is FAITH in PRAISE!   Genuine Praise says I see better, believe better and expect better! 

PRAISE BREAK! 

So be encouraged, take advantage of those days that praise hits you, when you enjoy the presence of God and feel the joy and peace that comes with it.  That kind of praise is not emotional, though it touches your emotions.... it is a reminder of the plan and the promise that God has over your life.  And praise reminds you that you BELIEVE IT!  
Your next level of praise will be filled with testimonies of the things that God has done in your life.  So take time to enjoy the praise intermissions even in the midst of what does not seem praise worthy, because your God is always worthy!   

REMEMBER:   Your PRAISE is not DECEPTIVE, your PROBLEMS are.

"The Other Side of Pride!"

I was talking to a friend the other day and was sharing something God gave me to give them.   Before talking to them, I thought hard about what I was about to tell them.  See I believe anything God gives you to give someone else, should go through you first!  If it is a biblical truth, it affects all of us, just in different ways.  So, I was trying to understand how what I was about to share also fit me.  

What I told them was that there was an area in their life, that until surrendered to God, it would be difficult to progress in some things they have been asking God to manifest.  I also told them what area that was.  But when thinking about myself, I couldn’t figure out what my area was that needed to be yielded more.   I knew that if I was going to discover what it was, I would need someone else to tell me because I was too close to me.   So, after talking to my friend, I asked them about my area and if they could shed any light on it… they quickly obliged.  As they spoke they said one thing stood out.  “You don’t allow people to help you.  You are always trying to give people something to bless them, you always make sure you pay people quickly, and all of that is good, but you do it without receiving help when others offer it.”  Before they could finish, I simply said “PRIDE.”   

THE OTHER SIDE OF PRIDE

We often think that pride is thinking we are better than others.  We assume the only side of pride is taking praise for things we have done, thinking too highly of ourselves, or the great pleasure we receive when we think we have attained something on our own, but that is just one side of it. 

Recently my financial adviser told me not to give away another book!  When he said it I kind of smiled, knowing that I probably would because I enjoyed blessing people who had a need, especially when it was my grief book.  Many of those people ask to BUY one, they can afford it and are more than willing to, but I would override them and just give them a book.  That can turn into the other side of pride- Not allowing God to use someone else to bless you when you are blessing them.  

I was told once that I don't like being wrong.  When I heard that, I didn't understand it at first.  I knew that I didn't always think I was RIGHT, so I was baffled.  At that time my then husband helped me to understand it better.  He said it is true, I don’t like to be WRONG, but it is not that I think I am RIGHT.  I just try too hard to do right by people and that in itself can turn to wrong.  In a weird kind of way, over the years in my attempt to avoid being prideful, I had  inadvertently began to take pride in not being prideful! 

A FALSE BALANCE

I searched for a scripture to help me to understand my newfound issue better so I could overcome in that area, and most scriptures about pride were helpful, but they dealt mostly with my previous definition of pride.  Then I found Proverbs 11:1-2 and I felt it come full circle.

“A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is His delight. When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.”

This scripture helped me understand that God is not one sided, not in business, not in blessings.  Sometimes we're so excited about being used by God and we want so bad to be a blessing that we don't do the things that are normal when it comes to the balance of giving and receiving.  I have had experiences where people charge exorbitant amounts to speak or sing at an event, and that looks off balance, and we might call that pride.  But that is just one side of it, if we are not charging much at all for things, that is still a false balance and it can be motivated by the other pride. Many Christian business owners don’t charge people enough for it to be a mutual blessing- (others charge too much just because they don't want to be taken advantage of). When we don't charge enough, our balance is off and the business owner struggles to be blessed- because they were so busy trying to be a blessing.  Their testimony is not balanced, and it does not glorify God when their business closes. Don’t get me wrong…  Scriptures tell us it is “More blessed to GIVE than to RECEIVE”.  We will teach, preach and proclaim that every day, but only being found GIVING is a false balance because God still expects us to receive. 

EXAMPLE:  God GAVE His best to us, if the principal of giving was the only thing that was counted as a blessing, then He received that blessing.  But God gave with expectation that we would RECEIVE that gift.  Is receiving it viewed as wrong or not a blessing?  NO, the gift was given with the intent to  be received as well, and it so blessed us that we are now a part of that BLESSING.   

Avoid falling into the subtle trap of the enemy.  Pride will have you off balance and that pride can lead to disgrace.  Humility can be seen in allowing God to bless you through a just balance.   There must be a balance in our Giving and Receiving.  Strive to be a blessing to people but be willing also to receive a blessing from the people you bless! 

#foreverchanged